Medical Review by Jennie Stanford, MD, FAAFP, DipABOM Summary What are GLP-1 medications? GLP-1 medications, or GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which your body naturally produces after eating. GLP-1 medications trigger the release of insulin, helping to move sugar from your bloodstream into